Compensator for railway-signals



(No Model.)

J. A. MARKLBY.

OOMPENSATOR POR RAILWAY SIGNALS.

No. 589,606. Patented Sept. 7,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Enten@ JOHN ALBERT MARKLEY, OF CLIFTON FORGE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ELEVEN-TXVENTIETHS TO JAMES BAILY AND JOSEPH B. IORTIL OF IVILMINGTON, DELAVARE.

COMPENSATOR FOR RAILWAY-SIGNALS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,606, dated September '7, 189'?.

Application tiled July l, 1896. Serial No. 597,682. (No model.)

To a-ZZ wmm t may core/cern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ALBERT MARKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clifton Forge, in the county of Alleghany and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compensators for Railway-Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Thisinvention relates to colnpensators, but more particularly to those employed for keeping a proper tension upon the Wires or connectionswhich extend from the signal-station to operate a signal or other movable body located at a distance therefrom.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive compensator for creating a proper tension upon the Wires extendingfrom the signal-station to the signal, so as to adjust said wires and to keep the signal and the operating-lever located in the signal-station or other convenient position in their proper relative positions With respect to each other, so that no matter how much the wires may expand or contract by the heat or cold or otherwise there Will be little, if any, danger of operating the main lever withoutplacing the signal in its proper position.

Other objects are to provide means whereby the force necessary to operate the signalwires is reduced to a minimum, and to provide compensating devices which may be readily applied to the operating-levers of signal-stations Without reconstructing or materially altering either the station itself or the arrangement of the levers therein.

Further objects are to provide means located convenient to the operator by which he may readily ascertain or be notified that the signal has not responded to the movement of the main lever either on account of the chains or connections slipping 01 by becoming detached from said lever, and to provide means to engage a portion of the compensating devices in order to sec-ure a substantially rigid connection, between said compensating devices and the main lever when the latter is operated. v

Ilerctofore where separate Wires were used for operating a signal, such as an ordinary semaphore blade "or arm, to a safety7 or danger position it has been proposed to connect the ends of the Wires at the signalstation by an endless chain passingover pulleys carried by the operating-levers and proyided with a Weight suspended from said endless chain in order to take up the slack and keep a tension upon the wires. It has also been proposed to provide a lever With blocks provided with cam-surfaces or a sliding or other portion connected with the Wires and provided with a single Weight to compensate for expansion or contraction in said Wires. In such constructions the action of the Weight upon the chain or connection makes it difficult to operate the main lever or separate clutch or ratchet-and-pa-Wl mechanism has to be provided, in which case the parts are more or less'coinplicated or the liability of operating the lever Without moving the signal is materially increased, owing to the tendency of the clutch or gripping mechanism to slip upon the chain.

To overcome the above-men tion ed and other objectionable features in such devices, I provide a compensator which consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, substantially as hereinafter described,

and then more particularly deiined in the claims 'at the end of the description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is an elevation, partly diagrammatic, of my invention, illustratingthe mann er of connecting the same with an ordinary semaphore or signal. Fig.v 2 is an end view of one of the Weighted pulleys and the manner of arranging thel chains thereon, and Figs. 3 and Ltare modified forms of weighted pulleys.

In the drawings, A may designate a snitable standard provided with a rack b at or near its upper end adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed paWl b', arranged upon a lever B and operated by a thumb or hand lever Z22, all of which may be of the usual or of any preferred form. This lever B may be pivoted, as at h3, to the standard A, and is preferably provided with oppositely-extending arms b4 b5 at right angles thereto, so as to form a substantially T-shaped lever Whose arms extend IOO on opposite sides ofsaid standard. The arms of the lever B are preferably of equal length .and provided near their outer ends with pendent brackets c c', which may have their upper ends forked, so as to be slipped over the ends of said arms and preferably rigidly secured thereto by bolts c2 c2 or otherwise, and with forked lower ends in which are arranged the loose pulleys ci c4. `These pulleys may be journaled upon studs or shafts c5 c5, which pass through apertures in the brackets c c', or the pulleys may rotate in unison with said shafts.- Each pulley is preferably provided with independent grooves in which the ends of the chains or connections d d', leading to the signal or other movablebodygand the ends of the chains or wires ee are secured, the lat.

ter being provided at. their lower ends with suitable weights c2 e3, adapted to keep a constant tension upon the connections in whatever position' the operatingiever B may be placed. The pulleys eiland c* and the weights e2 e3, arranged on said pulleys, are preferably at substantially the same distance from the fulcrum or pivot ofthe lever B and are arranged so as to practically balance each other, thereby adding little, if any, 'to the force required to operate said lever, at the same time keeping a proper tension upon the connections d d', the position of the fulerum varying according to the position of the journals of the pulleys and the manner of supporting said pulleys upon the lever.

rIhe connections d d' may pass under pulleys f f, located, respectively, on opposite sides of the standard A or in any convenient position, and may connect in the usual manner to a semaphore or signal, as at G, or to any other movable body. This signal may be of the usual or of any desired form provided with the semaphore orsignal arm g, the pivoted lever g', connected to said arm, and the wires g2 g3, leading to the connections d d', respectively, the signal-arm being shown in the danger7 position, which occurs when the lever B is thrown to the right from the position illustrated. v

`For the purpose of notifying the operator that the signal has not responded to the movement of the lever B, I prefer to provide arms or indicators 7L h for the connections d d', respectively, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. l, the normal position of said arms being horizontal and arranged convenient to the operator, so that he may readily see the same. These arms or indicators 71. 7L have their ends connected to the brackets c c or other movable portion of the lever B by wires or other suitable connections 7i2 h3, passing around the pulleys h4 h, secured, respectively, to the connections CZ CZ', said connections h2 and h3 having sufficient slack therein to permit the usual movement of the operating-lever. If the lever B is moved to the right, for instance, the connection CZ and pulley 7i'L will move therewith without operating said arms or indicators; but should. the connection d slip on the pulley c" or become disconnected above the pulley 7L* during the movement of the lever the said pulley will not travel with the lever or will move in an opposite direction thereto and will cause said lever to pull upon the wire h2, so as to increase the distance between said pulley h4 and the securing-point of the wire 7b2 to the operating-lever, so that the arm h will be raised to the position shown, thereby indicating that something is wrong wit-h the connection between the operating-lever and the signal. By moving the lever B toward the left the same result will be obtained eX- cept that the arm or indicator h will be raised by the wire 715 in case the connection d should slip or become disconnected from the pulley cVl or should break above the pulley h5.

To prevent the rotation of the pulleys when the lever l is operated and to assist the weights to insure a response from the signal, I may provide brakes k la, slidingly held upon the brackets c c or any other suitable portion of said lever and adapted, when given a vertical movement, t-o engage the periphery of the pulleys c3 ci. These brakes may be of any preferred form and operated in any desiredy manner and may consist of shoes 7c' it provided with guide-arms k? k2, having slots through which a polygonal or other portion of the spindles or shafts c5 c5 of the pulleys c3 04 pass, so as toguide the brakes and prevent the same from rotating with said puileys. The upper ends of the guidefarms are preferablyconnected to wires, chains, or other connections 'les k3, which have their inner ends connected to a wire or chain ki, and which pass around antifriction-rollers carried by the lever B, the wire or chain 7c* being connected to the pawl bf, so as to be operated by the hand-lever bi when the pawl is raised to operate the lever, so that simultaneously with the release of said pawl the wires or connections between the brakes will cause the latter to engage the pulleys to prevent the rotation of the same. By this means there is no possibility of the pulleys rotating on the shafts cJ should the connections d d' become caught or should the signal from any cause not readily respond to the movement of the main operatingflever.

The operation of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection` with the accompanying drawings. It will be readily seen` should the lever B be moved to the right, that the connection CZ will throw the semaphore blade or arm g tothe position shown. At the same time the weight e2 will take up any slack in the wires, while a movement of said lever in the opposite direction will place the signal in a position indicating' safety,7 any accident to the connection between the signal and the lever being readily ascertained by the position of the arms 7i h', as heretofore explained. I thus provide a simple, inexpensive, an d co n- IOO IIO

.venient` venient means for compensating for contraction and expansion iu the signal-operatiug Wires, at the same time providing a positive connection between the signal and the operating-lever, so that the signal will readily respond to the movements ot said lever.

Instead ot' providing chains or Wires carrying weights at their ends, as shown in l, I may in some instances provide pulleys which have one side thereof weighted by casting the same solid, as shown at c6, Fig. 3, or by filling one side of the pulley with lead or other material of sufficient Weight to take up the slack and provide proper tension for the signal-operating connections; or weighted pulleys, as

in Fig. el., may be provided, which are adapted to be held eccentrically in the brackets c c' of the operating-lever, the Weighted portions of said pulleys being so disposed with relation to the connections d d' that the vslack in said connection will. 'be taken up and a tension constantly exerted upon the same.

The pulleys ciE c4 may have a serrated surface or periphery adapted to be engaged by like serrations on the shoes in order to assist in preventing the rotation of the pulleys when the brakes are applied thereto, or a clutch or any other suitable means may be provided to rigidly hold said pulleys when the lever B is operated.

It is of con rse understood, where the Word connection is employed, that chains, Wires, or a combination of the same may be used, and that either one or its equivalent may be interchangeably used for the other when con- The general form or style of the pulleys may be changed, and instead of the arms It h any suitable indicator, signal, or pointer may be used to inform the operator in case the distant signal did not respond to the movement of the operating-lever.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a compensator, the combination with a suitable support, of an operating-lever pivoted thereto, independently-Weighted pulleys arranged upon said lever at substantially the same distance from the pivot so as to practically balance each other at all times, together with connections secured to said pulleys and adapted to operate a movable body and have the slack therein taken up by said pulleys, whereby the lever may be readily operated and the slack taken up in the connections, substantially as described.

In a compensator, the combination with a suitable support, of an operating-lever provided with oppositelyextending arms pivoted to said support, pulleys arranged upon the arms of the lever at substantially the same distance from the pivot so as to practically balance each other at all times, connections adapted to operate a suitable body, and sep arate Weights for the pulleys adapted to con stantly exert a tension upon said connections so as to take up the slack therein, whereby the lever may be readily operated and the slack taken up in the Wires, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a suitable support, of an operating-lever pivoted to said support and provided with oppositely-extending arms, pulleys arranged upon said arms, connections having their ends secured to the pulleys and adapted to operate a signal, and separate Weights secured to chains depend ing from said pulleys so as to practically balance each other and adapted to exert a tension upon said connections to take up the slack therein', whereby the lever may be read ily operated and the slack taken up in the Wires, substantially as described.

4. In a compensator, the combination with a suitable support, of an operating-lever pivoted to said support and provided with oppositely-extending arms, pendent brackets arranged upon said arms, pulleys journaled in said brackets, connections having their ends secured to the pulleys and adapted to operate a signal, chains having one of their ends secured to the pulleys, together with Weights secured to the lower ends of said chains so as to practically balance each other and adapted to constantly exert a tension upon the connections so as to take up the slack therein, whereby the lever may be readilyoperated and the slack taken up in the Wires, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a movable body, of an operating-lever, connections between said lever and the body, together with an indicator adapted to be operated by the lever should said body fail to respond to its 1novements, substantially as described.

G. The combination with a signal, of an operating-lever, connections between said lever and the signal, arms or indicators pivoted to a suitable support convenient to the operating-lever, pulleys carried by the connections, together With wires passing around the pulleys and having their ends secured to said arms and the operating-lever and adapted to be operated by said lever should the signal fail to respond to its movements, substantially as described.

7. In a compensator, the combination with a suitable support, of an operatinglever pivoted to said support, independently-weighted pulleys arranged upon said lever on opposite sides of its pivot so as to practically balance each other, connections secured to said pul leys and adapted to operate a movable body and have the slack therein taken up by` said pulleys, together with means for engaging said pulleys to prevent the rot-ation of the same when the lever is operated to shift the signal, substantially as described.

S. In a compensator, the combination with a suitable support, of an operating-lever pivoted to said support, Weighted pulleys arranged upon said lever so as to practically IGO ITO

IZO

balance each other, connections seem-ed to when the lever is shifted on its pivot, suh- 1o said pulleys and adapted to operate a mov stantially as described. Y Y

able body and have the slack therein taken In testimony whereof I allix my signature up by said pulleys, together with brakes in presence of two Witnesses.

sldinwly held upon said lever and adapted to l T 1 f 1 T Y directly engage the under surface of the pnl- JOID ALLRRL MARBLE leys; said brakes being` connected to the le- XVltnesses:

Ver so as to be simultaneously operated there- FRANK A. MCGLOSKEY,

with to prevent the rotation of said pulleys THOMAS REARDON. 

